WHY DO YOU NEED TO DO AN EGG FAST?
For anyone having trouble transitioning into ketosis, a five-day egg fast can help your body to burn fat from food and fat stored in your body, rather than burning glycogen from carbs.
An egg fast can also help kick start weight loss for those who have plateaued in their weight loss journey.
The egg fast can help your body get back to burning fat and back to losing weight.
It can reduce your carb intake significantly and get you back on track.
NOTE: THIS IS THE KETO EGG FAST DIET AND NOT THE BOILED EGG DIET WHICH IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
WHAT IS A KETO EGG FAST?
This is when a dieter almost exclusively eats eggs for the duration of the fast, this is typically 3 or 5 days.
The dieter will not eat any other food apart from the small amount of healthy fats but will predominately stick to eggs for meals and snacks,
On the egg fast you have the freedom to eat and enjoy eggs in whatever way you like Poached, fried, scrambled or even an omelette.
Your goal is to consume 6 eggs a day along with 1oz of cheese with every egg and a teaspoon of healthy fat.
Want to lose weight fast? Find out how here.
WHY EGGS?
The keto diet focuses of high fat, moderate protein and low carbs.
Nothing fits this brief more then the trusty egg. Not only does it fit in with your macros but eggs are jam packed full of nutrients.
The egg white contains protein, iron, zinc, copper, selenium, vitamin B12, D and B6
The egg yolk is where the fat is found along with vitamin A,D,E, and K.
The best eggs to consume on the keto diet are omega 3, organic and pastured this will ensure that you are eating the most nutritious eggs available.
RELATED: A CUSTOM KETO DIET TAILOR MADE TO YOUR REQUIREMENTS
WHY DOES THE EGG FAST WORK?
The egg fast works by getting your body into the metabolic state of ketosis where your body uses ketones as a source of fuel. Read about ketosis here.
Although an egg fast will help you lose weight there are a number of factors that can affect how much weight you will lose.
This will be based on factors such as your starting weight, gender, height, how close you are to your goal weight and how much food you consume.
For example someone who has a great deal of weight to lose can expect to lose a lot more then someone who doesn’t have much to lose.
Many people report losses of around 5 – 10lbs in 3-5 days.
Some of the benefits of a 5-day keto egg fast include:
*Weight loss
*Loss of appetite
*Flat tummy
*Reduction of insulin resistance
POTENTIAL RISKS AND SIDE EFFECTS OF THE KETO EGG FAST
Many people suffer from keto flu, which is when your body adapts to ketones as a source of energy instead of glucose.
It is not a very nice feeling at all and can include increase in appetite, headaches, nausea, sleep disturbances, bad breath and weakness.
Read about the keto flu and how to deal with it here.
Taking your electrolytes regularly can help overcome the keto flu. This is why it is recommended that you are on the keto diet before you try the egg fast.
Constipation is another side effect as this diet contains no fibre, which most of us need to keep regular.
Again, staying on top of your electrolytes and keeping well hydrated should help.
THE KETO EGG FAST IS NOT SUITABLE FOR:
*Diabetics
*Those without a gallbladder
*Those who have an eating disorder
*Pregnant women
*Cholesterol hyper responders
*Breastfeeding Women
Instead, you could try a Custom keto meal plan to keep you in ketosis, work out your macros for you and help you stay on target. Read about it here . It is a fantastic way to get you started on the keto diet.
THE KETO EGG FAST RULES
1. Eat at least six eggs per day
This is not a calorie-restricted diet so eat to fullness. To save time and energy I boil all my eggs in the morning using this.
2. Buy the best quality eggs you can
Free range eggs may contain more omega 3 fats and vitamin D.
3. Eat one tablespoon of butter per egg
Coconut oil, olive oil
4. You may add up to one ounce of cheese per egg if desired
Make sure your cheese is low carb and full fat
5. Drink as much water as you can: at least 2-4
Black or bulletproof coffee, black tea, green tea
6. Add salt and keep taking your electrolytes
Consider extra magnesium and potassium to prevent cramps.
If you suffer from constipation then flaxseed may help.
7. Exercise daily
Even a short walk will help maintain lean muscle mass.
8. Eat three meals a day; if not hungry eat one egg
Your appetite will be reduced but keep eating to preserve lean muscle mass.
9. Follow the egg fast for three days; five days may give better results
You will be sick of eggs by the third day.
10.
E.g. the day after
Consider keeping on eating at least two eggs a day to maintain the effects of the fast.
THE DOS WHEN YOU ARE ON THE KETO EGG FAST
*Within half and hour of waking consume 1 egg
*Eat both the whites and yolks
*Have between 3-5 meals of 2 or more eggs per day.
*Eat every 3-5 hrs even if you don’t feel hungry
*Have an egg at least 3 hours before you go to bed
*Sauces and condiments are allowed but they need to be keto approved and low in carbs.
*Herbs and spices are allowed
*Butter, coconut and olive oil can be used as good fats
*Stay hydrated
*Tea and coffee are permitted on the egg fast
THE DONT’S WHEN YOU ARE ON THE KETO EGG FAST
*No meat is allowed for the duration of the fast
*No fruit is allowed while you are on the diet
*No vegetables are allowed
*No nuts are allowed
*Refrain from artificial sweeteners and diet sodas
*No alcohol
*No heavy whipping cream
IS THE KETO EGG FAST HEALTHY?
Ultimately the goal of an egg fast is to jolt your body into ketosis.
The egg fast is supposed to be a short sharp kick to your metabolism to get things moving in the right direction.
It is supposed to be used as part of your normal keto diet to break through a plateau.
If you do decide to continue your egg fast past the recommended 3-5 days you may begin to find that your body is missing out on vital nutrients that aren’t found in eggs such as fibre, something everyone’s body needs to promote healthy digestion.
MY RESULTS ON THE KETO EGG FAST DIET
By the time I tried the egg fast I was well into my keto journey.
I had lost a fair amount of weight but at 5 months in had hit a wall. My scale hadn’t moved in over a week and I really couldn’t workout what was going on.
I must mention that I was getting close to my goal weight so that may have had an impact on the stall and the weight loss slowing down,
I decided to give the egg fast diet a shot as I had plateaued and couldn’t get my weight to budge, even though I was adhering strictly to my recalculated macros.
Initially, I intended to do 3 days but was willing to do 5 if I possibly could.
DAY 1
Breakfast
2 boiled eggs mashed with Boursin cheese
Cup of black coffee
Lunch
2 egg cheese omelettes
Large glass of water
Dinner
Poached eggs with cream cheese
DAY 2
Breakfast
Egg mayo and cup of herbal tea
LUNCH
Cream cheese pancakes
Dinner
Cheese omelette
DAY 3
Breakfast
Scrambled eggs and smoked salmon with a large cup of black coffee
LUNCH
3 devilled eggs and water
Dinner
Crustless cheese quiche
So by day 3 I’m absolutely sick of eggs but I want to keep going as I can feel my belly feels flatter and my trousers are feeling slightly looser.
DAY 4
Breakfast
2 fried eggs with black coffee
Lunch
Leftover crustless cheese quiche
Dinner
Cheese omelette
DAY 5
Breakfast
2 poached eggs with black tea
Lunch
Egg mayo large glass of water
Dinner
Cheese omelette
Yes, by the end of day 5 I never ever want to see another egg as long as I live
MY RESULTS ON THE KETO EGG FAST
So, after completing the fast I had in fact lost 5 lbs of weight which is amazing!
I’m really glad I kept on going as the results really were fantastic.
On day 6 and 7 I added 1 keto meal back in and on days 8 and 9 another and by day 10 I was back to my 3 keto meals.
I gained 1 lb back overall but I believe that’s because I slowly added the meals back in.
Overall weight loss was 4 lbs which aren’t bad at all for 5 days.
The egg fast really gave my body the jolt it needed and the weight continued to drop off until I reached my goal.
Still not losing weight with the Keto Egg Fast?
What you may find is that you need help getting back into ketosis, there is so much information and it can be a little confusing.
Sometimes you just need some help taking the stress out. The custom Keto diet is one such plan that just tells you exactly what to do and what to eat without you needing to worry.
Doing the 5-day egg fast can give your body the kick start it needs to get going but to maintain and keep losing weight you need to stick to the keto diet.
Dont fall off the wagon, instead get the help you need to stick to the diet!
The bottom line
I would only recommend this diet to those already on keto to try and do this first would be so difficult.
The keto flu and the transition between burning glycogen to burning fat may mean that you could fail at this diet.
I must admit by day 5 I was feeling a little light headed and weak but I continued to take my electrolytes and that got me through the worst of it.
I don’t believe that I personally could have done this diet for more then 5 days.
I would recommend listening to your body, if you feel light headed or too weak stop the diet and continue on keto you are well on the way to losing the weight anyway.
You can read about other ways to get over your weight loss stall here.
The egg fast doesn’t work for everyone, try not to give up hope and keep going your hard work and persistence will surely pay off.
I have selected some of the best keto egg fast recipes from around the web.
keto egg fast
Keto Egg Fast Cinnamon Crepes
Perfectly sweet and satisfying. These sweet crepes that are ideal for an egg fast or any low carb breakfast.
Keto Deviled Eggs
These keto deviled eggs are full of flavors and taste amazing. It's the kind of appetizer you can make for the whole family and keep yourself full on an egg fast.
Keto Cream Cheese Scrambled Eggs?
These keto cream cheese scrambled eggs are a quick and easy extra low-carb meal. With just a few and 1.5 net carbs, they're also an easy keto egg fast recipe!
Keto Egg Loaf Recipe
This Keto Egg Loaf is the perfect way to kick off your egg fast! Only 2 carbs per slice - tastes just like French Toast!
EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR KETO SUCCESS
The custom keto diet is a brand new product that allows you to create your very own keto diet plan based on your food preferences, daily activity levels, height, weight and target weight goals.
Based on scientific research and proven studies to create personalized ketogenic diet plans that maximize fat burning via the correct calories and macronutrients for each individual.
Here’s what You will get:
An eight-week meal plan created based on the expertise of certified nutritionists, personal trainers, and chefs.
Meals that have calorie and macronutrient content tailored to your specific situation and goals.
A nutrition plan with food variety to ensure they will get a wide range of nutrients and boost the likelihood of sticking to their diet.
Meals are based on personal food preferences to make your diet enjoyable and help you stay on track with their plan.
Detailed recipes with step-by-step instructions to make meal preparation super simple (no prior cooking experience needed).
A downloadable shopping list each week that details every ingredient that you will need in the upcoming seven days.
Options on how you can customize every meal even more to suit your taste buds.
We’ll show you what to eat every day to reach your goals in the fastest and most enjoyable way.
To show how effective the meal plans are, here’s what some people have said about it
As of today, I’ve lost 35 pounds, I have no hunger pangs and mentally I feel sharp as a pin. This is definitely going to become a ‘way of life’ for me as it’s so easy to follow! All my meals are planned out for me and I even get a downloadable shopping list with all the ingredients I need for the weekly shop so it really is a doddle. Katy Thompson, UK
I’m 4 weeks into my custom keto diet plan and I’ve lost 14 pounds which I must say is pretty incredible, it’s actually amazing watching my body transform into something I am actually proud of rather than something I have always tried to cover up. Jessica Grey, US
I’ve struggled with my weight my whole life and it’s safe to say that I’ve tried a LOT of diets… The Keto diet is the only one I’ve managed to stick to and the weight is literally melting off my body.
Unlike other diets where I am feeling hungry all day and food is constantly on my mind, the keto diet has completely eliminated this, I actually NEVER feel hungry with this way of eating! I would definitely recommend anyone struggling to lose weight to try these custom keto meal plans as they really have been a godsend for me.